Automatic toggling of a mute setting during a communication session

Abstract

The technology disclosed herein enables automatic disabling of a mute setting for an endpoint during a communication session. In a particular embodiment, a method includes, during a communication session between a first endpoint operated by a first participant and a second endpoint operated by a second participant, enabling a setting to prevent audio captured by the first endpoint from being presented at the second endpoint. After enabling the setting, the method includes identifying an indication in media captured by one or more of the first endpoint and the second endpoint that the setting should be disabled. In response to identifying the indication, the method includes disabling the setting.

1 . A method comprising:
 during a communication session between a first endpoint operated by a first participant and a second endpoint operated by a second participant:
 enabling a setting to prevent audio captured by the first endpoint from being presented at the second endpoint; 
 after enabling the setting, identifying an indication in media captured by one or more of the first endpoint and the second endpoint that the setting should be disabled, wherein identifying the indication includes determining, from a portion of the media captured by the first endpoint, that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant; and 
 in response to identifying the indication, disabling the setting. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 after disabling the setting, presenting the audio captured by the first endpoint at the second endpoint.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media includes audio captured by the second endpoint, and wherein identifying the indication comprises:
 determining, from the audio captured by the second endpoint, that the second participant intends to hear audio from the first participant.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein determining that the second participant intends to hear audio from the first participant comprises one of:
 determining that the second participant asked the first participant a question; and   determining that the second participant called on the first participant to speak.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the indication comprises:
 determining, from the audio captured by the first endpoint, that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media includes video captured by the first endpoint, and wherein identifying the indication comprises:
 determining, from the video captured by the first endpoint, that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein determining that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant comprises:
 determining that the first participant is facing a camera that captured the video while speaking.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein determining that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant comprises:
 determining that the first participant is making a hand gesture consistent with speaking to the second participant.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein determining that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant comprises:
 determining that the first participant is making a facial gesture consistent with speaking to the second participant.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 training a machine learning algorithm to identify when a participant intends to be speaking using media from previous communication sessions; and   wherein identifying the indication comprises feeding the media into the machine learning algorithm, wherein output of the machine learning algorithm indicates that the setting should be disabled.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 one or more computer readable storage media;   a processing system operatively coupled with the one or more computer readable storage media; and   program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media that, when read and executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:   during a communication session between a first endpoint operated by a first participant and a second endpoint operated by a second participant:
 enable a setting to prevent audio captured by the first endpoint from being presented at the second endpoint; 
 after enabling the setting, identify an indication in media captured by one or more of the first endpoint and the second endpoint that the setting should be disabled, wherein identification of the indication includes a determination, from a portion of the media captured by the first endpoint, that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant; and 
 in response to identifying the indication, disable the setting. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the program instructions direct the processing system to:
 after disabling the setting, present the audio captured by the first endpoint at the second endpoint.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the media includes audio captured by the second endpoint, and wherein to identify the indication, the program instructions direct the processing system to:
 determine, from the audio captured by the second endpoint, that the second participant intends to hear audio from the first participant.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein to determine that the second participant intends to hear audio from the first participant, the program instructions direct the processing system to either:
 determine that the second participant asked the first participant a question; or   determine that the second participant called on the first participant to speak.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein to identify the indication, the program instructions direct the processing system to:
 determine, from the audio captured by the first endpoint, that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the media includes video captured by the first endpoint, and wherein to identify the indication, the program instructions direct the processing system to:
 determine, from the video captured by the first endpoint, that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein to determine that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant, the program instructions direct the processing system to:
 determine that the first participant is facing a camera that captured the video while speaking.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein to determine that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant, the program instructions direct the processing system to:
 determining that the first participant is making a hand gesture consistent with speaking to the second participant.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the program instructions direct the processing system to:
 train a machine learning algorithm to identify when a participant intends to be speaking using media from previous communication sessions; and   wherein to identify the indication the program instructions direct the processing system to feed the media into the machine learning algorithm, wherein output of the machine learning algorithm indicates that the setting should be disabled.   
     
     
         20 . One or more computer readable storage media having program instructions stored thereon that, when read and executed by a processing system, direct the processing system to:
 during a communication session between a first endpoint operated by a first participant and a second endpoint operated by a second participant:
 enable a setting to prevent audio captured by the first endpoint from being presented at the second endpoint; 
 after enabling the setting, identify an indication in media captured by one or more of the first endpoint and the second endpoint that the setting should be disabled, wherein identification of the indication includes a determination, from a portion of the media captured by the first endpoint, that the first participant intends to be heard by the second participant; and 
 in response to identifying the indication, disable the setting.